Terrence William "Terry" Hersom

Terrence “Terry” Hersom, of Sioux City, Iowa, died Sunday, October 31, 2021, at the age of 71 years, two months and five days, in Chicago, IL.

A visitation will be 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm Monday, November 8, 2021, at Christy-Smith Funeral Homes, Morningside Chapel, 1801 Morningside Ave., with the family present from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 am Tuesday, November 9, 2021, at Mater Dei Parish-Church of the Nativity with burial to follow in Memorial Park Cemetery. A Celebration of Terry’s Life will be 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm Tuesday at Bob Roe’s Point After. Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.christysmith.com .

Terrence William Hersom was born at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on August 26, 1950, to Robert W. and Evelyn L. (Olson) Hersom. He graduated from Washington High School in Cedar Rapids in 1968 and the University of Northern Iowa in 1972 with a B.A. in English.
Terry married Linda Tewes on June 6, 1970, in Royal, Iowa, following a courtship that began the year prior when Terry, strumming his guitar and singing folk songs in the student union at UNI, accepted a song request only on the condition that Linda sit next to him. They were proud parents of sons Jason and Jim. Linda died in 2017. Terry married Pat Palmer on August 14, 2020.

While still a student at Northern Iowa, Terry began a long and illustrious career in journalism as sports editor of the school newspaper. He worked as a part-time writer for both the Waterloo Courier and Cedar Falls Record before becoming sports editor at the Cedar Falls Record. He was assistant sports editor at the Ottumwa Courier before spending 38 years as sports editor of the Sioux City Journal from 1977 until his retirement in 2015.

Among his many honors were the Drake Relays Media Award, North Central Conference Honor Award, Iowa High School Athletic Association Media Award, Sioux City Relays honorary referee and Iowa High School Athletic Directors Association Outstanding Media Award.

Terry was inducted into the Iowa Association of Track Coaches 2019 Hall of Fame receiving the LaVerne Kloster Distinguished Service Award. He liked to joke that he was the slowest person ever to receive this award.

Terry was the first president of the Iowa Associated Press Sports Editors. He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus (3rd degree) and the Sioux City Sports Congress. He served on the Greater Siouxland Athletic Association board of directors and the Sioux City Relays Hall of Fame committee, as well as on Iowa Newspaper Association all-state committees. He was a Heisman Trophy selector for 36 years.

Along with covering the Iowa boys state basketball tournament for 40 years, Terry also staffed three Rose Bowl games involving the Iowa Hawkeyes, as well as numerous NCAA and NAIA national tournaments, all 12 Dakota Dunes Open golf tournaments and four International Softball Congress World Tournaments. Not to mention thousands and thousands of high school and college games.

A big source of pride for Terry was covering the Sioux City Explorers minor league baseball team since its inception in 1993.

Terry’s knowledge of sports, especially in Northwest Iowa, was unmatched.

Terry was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Linda; two brothers; and a sister. He is survived by his wife, Pat J. “Sam” Hersom; sons, Jason and his wife, Mandi, of Sioux City, and Jim and his wife, Chrissy, of Omaha, Nebraska; grandchildren, Anthony, Jessica, Nathan, Rachel, Isaiah, Uriah, Andrew, Joslyn, Carter, Cole and Sunshine; and his sister Linda.

Not to mention too many friends to count.

The family will evenly divide any memorials between Track Guy Foundation and the Boys and Girls Home of Siouxland.